($75): Ross Cobb has as much experience with Sonoma Coast vineyards as anybody, having worked at Williams Selyem, Flowers, and Hirsch, all notable Sonoma Coast producers. Ross, like Jadot’s legendary winemaker, Jacques Lardière who is currently making Jadot’s Oregon Pinot Noir, favors picking that grape earlier in the New World’s warmer vineyards (at least compared to Burgundy) to preserve secondary aromas and flavors that are essential to the character of the wine. For Cobb, the result is a spectacularly aromatic and alluring trio of Pinot Noir all of which weigh-in under 13.4 percent stated alcohol. The Emmaline Ann Pinot Noir (12.8 percent) is the real thing, showing the near magical combination of flavor without weight. Light on the palate, it makes a lasting impression on your brain with its combination of delicate fruitiness and savory herbal notes. Velvety tannins and perfect acidity amplify its elegance.
96 Michael Apstein Jun 27, 2017